Nail lacquer bottle assembly, including brush wiper



Feb. 10, 1953 J. w. GAGEN NAIL LACQUER BOTTLE ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING BRUSH WIPER Filed July 29, 1947 FIG. I.

INVENTOR. 28 JOSEPH W|LFR|D GAGEN ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NAIL LAQQUEB BOTTLE ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING BRUSH WIFER Joseph Wilfrid Gagen, Bronxville, N. Y.

Applicationluiy 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,434

"2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the control of the amount of liquid upon a brush as the brush is withdrawn from a container such as a bottle. More in particular, this invention relates to the handling of liquid nail lacquer when the lacquer is sold in and then used from a bottle.

An object of this invention is to provide an arrangement whereby nail lacquer or the like may be used from -a bottle without the difficulties which have been encountered with prior art arrangements. A further object is to provide for the automatic wiping of a brush as the brush is withdrawn from its container, and to provide that the liquid wiped from the brush will return to the body of liquid in the container. It is a still further object to provide an arrangement whereby liquid will not run freely from the bottle and yet a brush may be dipped into the body of liquid and then withdrawn with a predetermined controlled quantity of the liquid thereon. A still further object is to provide arrangements of the above character where the brush is guided and protected as it is returned to the bottle or like container. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.

The invention accordingly consists, in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view with parts broken away showing one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the arrangement of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the brush wiper unit of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section of a, similar brush wiper unit; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the brush wiping unit of Figure 4.

As conducive to a clearerunderstanding of the invention it should be pointed outthat'great difficulty has been encountered in the past in the use of nail lacquer. It has been common practice to sell nail lacquer in bottles and to apply it to the nails with a brush directly from the bottle. The brush often carries upon it from the bottle an excessive amount of lacquer even though the user attempts to Wipe off the excess liquid onto the neck of the bottle. Furthermore, this wiping causes the top of the bottle to become very messy,

with the'result that the cap -ismore or less glued to the bottle when the bottle is closed again "Furthermore, the applying of nail lacquer is a somewhat difiicult operation, particularly because one hand is used to handle the brush and the other hand is having lacquer applied to it. Therefore, when the brush is wiped on" on the neck ofthe bottle there is a tendency for the bottle to tip over because the user cannot hold the bottle; and, with prior arrangements when the bottle is tipped over the lacquer runs freely from the unrestricted neck of the bottle. It is a further object or" the present invention to avoid these diiiiculties of the prior art devices.

Referring particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing the bottle 2 contains liquid nail lacquer and has a neck i which is threaded to receiveacover cap 6. Cover cap 6 has-fixed to it the endof a brush 5 having a handle ii and a brush portion 9, both of circular cross-section. When the cap is in the bottle th brush is immersed in the nail polish, and the brush is withdrawn by grasping cap 6.

Snugly fitting within neck d is a metalferrulelike brush wiper unit is which (see Figure 2) has a central cylindrical main body portion l2, a bottom brush guiding portion Hi which is "a frustum of a cone, and a top flange 16. Flange It fits over the top of the lip of bottle and acts to position the unit at the proper place in the bottle neck. At the bottom of portion is is a somewhat cylindrical brush-Wiping flange 18 which has an opening it therethrough. The outside diameter of portion l2 issuch thatiitiscre ceived tightly within neck 4 without additional holding means although suchholding rn'earismay be provided when desirable.

ihe diameter of opening It is slightly greater than the diameter of brush handle 8, and is such, with respect to the size of the brush portion 9, that excessive lacquer is wiped from the brush as the brush is withdrawn from the bottle. Normally the brush is withdrawn with its axis held substantially on the axis of the brush-wiper unit. However, by tipping the brush as shown in the drawing, a greater amount of the lacguer is wiped from the brush by flange It and therefore a lesser amount remains on the brush. This wiping action is accomplished without there being a tendency for the bottle to tip.

The lower edge 23 of the brush wiper unit is somewhat sharp so that the liquid which is wiped from the brush is caused to drip readily back into thebody of polish inthe'b'ottom. It shouldbe notedalso that if there is any substantial collecinside diameters.

tion of lacquer on the inner surfac of portions I2 and I4 this will run down readily and will drip from edge 20.

When the brush is being returned to the bottle portion [4 gathers the ends of the bristles and directs them downwardly through the opening 19. The shape of portion l4 and the size of opening 19 is determined by the characteristics of the particular brush which is to be used and the characteristics of the particular lacquer. The particular wiper unit construction shown insures the proper shaping of the brush as the brush passes therethrough to and from the bottle, it being understood that the size and the shape of the various parts of the brush wiper unit will be varied to satisfy particular requirements of use. The smooth-surfaced, rigid wall insures that the brush is properly guided as it enters the bottle, and, as the brush is withdrawn, excess lacquer is wiped from the brush and returns to the body of the liquid in. the bottle. In the present embodiment the brush wiper unit is made of aluminum and this particular material has many advantages.

The brush wiper unit has the additional function of preventing spilling and leakage of the lacquer. Accordingly, opening Id is of such size, with respect to the viscosity of the liquid and the other factors, that it prevents the flow of the liquid out of the bottle through this opening. That is, if the bottle is tipped over with the lacquer therein and with the cap and brush removed, the brush wiper unit prevents the lacquer from running out of the bottle. Furthermore, when the bottle is closed with the brush handle extending through opening l9 there is a pocket of air within the unit above opening l9 which counteracts any tendency for the lacquer to seep through the opening at the side of the brush handle. In this way, the surfaces of portions I2 and M, the bottle neck and the inside of the bottle cap do not become coated or caked with lacquer even though the bottle is tipped over and shaken considerably.

As indicated above, opening I9 is slightly larger than the diameter of brush handle 8 and it is also slightly larger than the minimum outer configuration of the brush portion 9. However, when the brush portion is immersed in the lacquer it has an outer configuration which is slightlygreater than the size of opening [9. Thus, when the brush is withdrawn from the lacquer it carries with it a relatively large drop of the lacquer and the brush gives somewhat of a bulged appearance. When the brush is pulled upwardly through opening I9 the bristles are pushed somewhat together with the result that the excessive lacquer is wiped onto edge It, and the brush carries from the bottle only the amount of lacquer desired. Normally it is desirable to provide that the brush carry the amount of lacquer for one nail but when desirable this can be greater or less.

In the embodiment of Figures 4 and the construction of the brush-wiping unit is similar to the structure of Figures 1 to 3. However, the

' .unit is split vertically at 22 so that it can be squeezed together to fit bottle necks of different Evenly spaced on the outer walls of portion M are three protrusions 23 which assist in holding the unit in place in the neck. Six evenly spaced helical grooves or riflings 26 are provided along the inside of the brush-guidlng portion 14. The lower edge 28 has no flange but is slightly sharpened to promote th dripping of the excess lacquer. These helical grooves tend to guide the bristles as the brush is pushed into the bottle; and, when the brush is withdrawn, the scalloped efiect of the opening 30 gives a wiping action which is advantageous with certain types of liquid.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the acompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In combination with a nail lacquer bottle or the like having a relatively large body portion for containing a viscose liquid such as nail lacquer and a small neck through which a nail brush is to be projected to withdraw the liquid from the bottle for use, a brush wiper unit of somewhat deformable material comprisin a body portion the outer periphery of which is snugly received in the neck of the bottle, flange means at the top of said body portion and lying over the top edge of the bottle lip thereby to hold the wiper unit in predetermined relationship with respect to the neck of the bottle, and a brush wiper and guiding portion integral with and projecting downwardly from the lower end of said body portion and having at the bottom an opening through which a brush is to be guided as the brush is inserted into the bottle, said brush 'wiper unit including a brush wiper portion at the periphery of said opening adapted to wipe the excess liquid from the brush as the brush is withdrawn from the bottle, said brush wiper and guiding portion having a plurality of brush guiding grooves formed in its lower portion and extending upwardly from said opening and said portion being split to permit flexing in the vicinity of said opening, said unit being adapted to be used with a brush of slightly lesser size than said opening and presenting portions at said body portion which frictionally engage the inner surface of the neck of the bottle.

2. In combination with a nail lacquer bottle or the like having a relatively large body portion for containing a viscose liquid such as nail lacquer and a small neck through which a nail brush is to be projected to withdraw the liquid from the bottle for use, a brush wiper unit of somewhat deformable material comprising a body portion the outer periphery of which is snugly received in the neck of the bottle, flange means at the top of said body portion and lying over the top edge of the bottle lip thereby to hold the wiper unit in predeter. .ined relationship with respect to the neck of the bottle, and a brush wiper and guiding portion integral with and projecting downwardly from the lower end of said body portion and having at the bottom an opening through which a brush is to be guided as the brush is inserted into the bottle, said brush wiper unit including a brush wiper portion at the periphery of said opening adapted to wipe the excess liquid from the brush as the brush is withthe bottle- JOSEPH WILFRID GAGEN.

(References on followin page) REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the 706,296 file of this patent: iflfii: UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 1 734 444 Number Name Date 126,501 Tarbox May 7, 1872 185,693 Newton Dec. 26, 1876 Number 210,872 Newton Dec. 17, 1878 7,729 564,348 Turner July 21, 1896 10 1 599,461 Thomas Feb. 22, 1898 Name Date Bradley Aug.. 5, 1902 Garvey Jan. 9, 1912 Paulson May 28, 1929 Paulson Nov.. 5, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 15, 1901 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1889 

